The Maya. Classic Period Either 250 BC to 950 AD Or 10 AD to 1190 AD.

The Maya

The Maya

Classic Period

Either 250 BC to 950 AD

Or 10 AD to 1190 AD

The Mayas We know they were not called Mayas When Spaniards arrived, the major city

was MAYAPAN (thus the name the Mayas)

The only great civilization to be located in the “jungle”

Primarily the Yucatan peninsula and northern central America

MAYAS

MAYA

KINGDOM

Bishop Diego de Landa Bishop Diego de Landa is best known for

two reasons: 1st – He thought the Maya books were

inspired by the devil, so he had them all destroyed

2nd – Recognizing his mistake, several years later returned to Yucatan and wrote ““Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan.”

This book based on the three Mayan books that survived

Maya Civilization Expert Astronomers

Astronomers Calculated Lunar and Solar Eclipses

– Used that information to have “Festivals” Understanding of the Solar Position in

the sky

Maya Civilization Expert Astronomers Great Mathematicians

Mathematicians Had a system based on 20 Recognized the zero (unlike the

Romans for instance) One two three four five six eight nine ten nineteen twenty

Maya Civilization Expert Astronomers Great Mathematicians Good architects though were not able

to complete the arch


to complete the arch Great warriors


to complete the arch Great warriors Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)

Mayan Economy A trade system existed through which salt,

obsidian, jade, cacao, animal pelts, tropical bird feathers, luxury ceramics and other goods flowed.

Goods from the highlands were traded with those of the lowlands. Obsidian was made into tools and weapons.

People either bartered goods directly or exchanged them for cacao beans

Commonly Bartered Items



Social Structure

Social Structure The Social

Pyramid– Priests– nobles wealthy– commoners and

low-level govern officers

– slaves and servants

Priest



Advances In Medicine

Maya Medicine 1. ULCERS, GASTRITIS

Mineral crystal stone. Put in water and drink the water every day. For sores in the mouth, put directly on affected area. No side effects. For thousands of years the Mayan elders have been using this practice. Prepared by thegreat grand niece of H'me Elijio Panti. $7.50 (US)

Maya Medicine 9. DIABETES,

HYPOGLYCEMIA, BLOOD SUGAR STABILIZER Billy Webb Bark Tea. Boil one hand full of bark. Drink 1/2 cup of tea twice daily, until blood sugar stabilizes. $7.50 (US)

10. DIARRHEA Traveler's Tonic. Take 3 tablespoons every hour for as long as condition persists. $7.50 (US)

Maya Civilization Expert Astronomers Great Mathematicians Good architects though were not able to

complete the arch Great warriors Active Merchants (Used Cocoa as currency)

Advances In Medicine Games

GAME The Maya had a ball game

called Pok-A-Tok. It was played on an odd shaped field.

The object of the game was to move a hard rubber ball without the use of hands or feet through a hoop.

There is debate whether it was the losing team or the winning team that was sacrificed.

GAME

Decapitation scene at ball court,

Mystery Question: Debate over why several sites are

shown to have been abandon? – They left site due to Natural Disasters– They left site due to over crowding– They abandon Commercial and Religion

sites but did not move

Architects Build Magnificent Temples and Places

for Commerce and Games

Demise of the Mayas Natural

– Ecology Soil Exhaustion (Cook and Sanders) Water Loss and Erosion (Cooke and

Ricketson) Savana Grass Competition (Cook and

Morley) (Continual burning of soil led to end original forest and converted into man-made grass land. Problem, Mayas did not have toil equipment).

– Catastrophism Earthquakes (Mackie) Hurricanes

– Evolution (Meggers) Main idea was that social collapse occurred

due to over population and lack of food supply

– Disease (Meggers)

Demise of the Mayas (continuation)


Social– Demography (Cowgill and Hutchinson)

Higher rate of female to male ratios led to a collapse of social order

– Social Structure (Thompson, Altscheler, and Kidder)

– Invasion (Adams, Cowgill, Sabloff and Willey)

Abandon Commercial and Religious Centers

Commercial and Religious Center (CRC)

Various Households

New CRC

New CRC


Economic Trade Collapse led to Rebellion and Invasion

Maya Core Teotihuacan Core

Maya Buffer Zone

Teotihuacan Buffer Zone

Towns in Buffer Zone

The Maya. Classic Period Either 250 BC to 950 AD Or 10 AD to 1190 AD.

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Transcript of The Maya. Classic Period Either 250 BC to 950 AD Or 10 AD to 1190 AD.